logo
Lions hooker Dan Sheehan insists all eyes are on series whitewash over Australia

Lions hooker Dan Sheehan insists all eyes are on series whitewash over Australia

If they triumph at Sydney's Accor Stadium on Saturday, they will become the first Lions side in almost a century to win every Test.
A dramatic 29-26 victory in Melbourne has placed Andy Farrell's men on the brink of greatness, but Sheehan admits the review of the second Test was 'not pretty watching for a lot of it'.
'It would be disappointing if we didn't show up on Saturday,' the Ireland hooker said.
'It would be different if the series was in the balance, but we've always been pretty clear on our goals – to go unbeaten overseas and win the series 3-0. So we just need to stick to what we said.
'There are a lot of people who have put a lot of effort into travelling out for this game and a lot of our families will be here as well, so there's plenty of motivation. And I can only imagine what the Australians are feeling now as well.
'We are searching for an 80-minute performance this weekend. The people and the talent we have are crazy. We just need to get them all working.
'There's also an individual onus on how you show up to a game – myself included because there are a few moments in the second Test when you're wondering what you were doing. We can be a lot better, definitely in that first half.
'But that's part of rugby. It's such an imperfect game that you've got to get over those moments pretty quick. And you get another chance on Saturday, hopefully.'
The British and Irish Lions players celebrate their series victory over Australia (David Davies/PA)
Farrell names his team on Thursday and must decide to what extent fresh legs are needed following two bruising Tests against the Wallabies, but the indications from the management are that the strongest possible XV will be fielded.
That rules out rotation for anything other than those players who are running on empty, which could include flankers Tom Curry and Tadhg Beirne after their lung-busting shifts in Brisbane and Melbourne.
Second row Joe McCarthy, centre Sione Tuipulotu and wing Mack Hansen all come into contention after recovering the injuries that forced them to miss the second Test.
If he has fully proved his fitness by Thursday, Hansen has an especially strong chance of being involved given wings James Lowe and Tommy Freeman have yet to impress in the series. Blair Kinghorn is also an option to start.
Sheehan dived over for the Lions' first try in the second Test against Australia (David Davies/PA)
Sheehan's excellent form will see him continue at hooker and the 26-year-old will continue to find novel ways to unlock defences after his 'superman' try from close range during the second Test.
'I took the first free-kick and got absolutely melted trying to go low. Then for the second one I just thought 'if I have a dive here…',' he said.
'I didn't know if they had anyone in the back. It was just a throw and hope and I slipped through. I can see all the controversy about it, but I did know that you can dive in the air if you score.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant

Wales Online

timean hour ago

  • Wales Online

Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant

Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant The latest headlines from Wales and around the world James Ryan of the British and Irish Lions clashes with Will Skelton of the Wallabies (Image:) These are your evening rugby headlines on Tuesday, August 5. ‌ Lions star faces surgery British & Irish Lions star Tom Curry is set to go under the knife on a wrist ligament injury, having put off surgery until after the tour of Australia. The England flanker was one of the standout performers in Andy Farrell's squad Down Under, with the head coach describing him as a "machine" as he capped stunning performances in the opening two Tests with tries in each, before ending the third and final clash as the game's top tackler. ‌ Curry put his body on the line throughout the series, something which is made all the more remarkable by the Sale Sharks man's eventful injury history and the long-standing issue he has with his wrist. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. ‌ Ahead of the tour, Sale boss Alex Sanderson revealed that the back rower would need to go under the knife, but admitted that the 'superhuman' England star was happy to play through the pain to be involved with the Lions. However, now that the tour is done and dusted, the operating table awaits for Curry. "He will need an operation at some point, but he's clearly able to manage it and play through whatever pain he's experiencing currently," Sanderson said back in May. "It's not something that is stopping his game minutes or something that's managing his training minutes either. Article continues below "He had to play and play through to see if he could, and if the risk was minimised, which the specialist was happy with, and the pain was manageable, which it clearly is for the superhuman that he is, then he'd put himself up for Lions selection. "The alternative is he could have an operation now and he'd probably miss the last run of games and he might miss the first two games of the Lions," the Premiership side's director of rugby added. "That wasn't a solution, because the level of competition for his position was so high, he had to see if he could manage it." Ryan 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant Australia legend David Campese has issued a scathing assessment of this year's British & Irish Lions Test series, claiming the tourists only delivered a "microwave meal version" of themselves compared to the "banquet feasts" that came before them. ‌ Andy Farrell's squad are returning home as series champions, having won the first two Tests before falling to defeat against the Wallabies in their final showdown in Sydney. However, Campese has been left feeling underwhelmed by what he saw from the Lions, instead hailing the "remarkable effort" of Joe Schmidt's team and "singing the praises" of individual Wallabies players. In a damning column piece for Planet Rugby, the 62-year-old also hit out at Farrell for treating the series as "an Irish development tour," even singling out one Ireland star for criticism and claiming he was "terrorised" by Wallabies giant Will Skelton. ‌ "It's hard to know how this Lions tour will be judged," Campese wrote. "At times, I feel that the hype was far greater than the reality. It was all a little manufactured, perhaps a little twee. "There was no real moments that came from within from the tourists. It seemed as if there was a need to force the narrative of legacy, of the history, rather than making the history itself through moments and performances." Turning his attention to the host's standout players, and indeed their opposition, the Wallabies legend continued: "Australia with Will Skelton, Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper and Bobby Valetini are a completely different proposition than without them. ‌ "[Skelton] has a limited shelf life and the conditions played into his hand in terms of stamina, but every time he plays against James Ryan he absolutely terrorises the bloke and that happened once again," he added. "I also feel that Andy Farrell at times treated this as an Irish development tour. There's no way that the likes of Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Andrew Porter, James Ryan and Jack Conan were the best players in their position during the build-up and series. "Never forget, whilst these guys have had some success in friendly Tests and so on, they've achieved absolutely nothing in terms of the big silverware in Test rugby – the World Cup – and there's a reason for that – they're average players. ‌ "I go back to my point about Ryan – Skelton owns him every time he faces him." Get daily rugby updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice New role for Cole Leicester Tigers legend Dan Cole has joined the club's staff after hanging up his boots at the end of last season. ‌ The England prop - who made 388 appearances for the Premiership side - has been appointed as the Tigers' new recruitment & retention manager, and will work closely with incoming head coach Geoff Parling to align the club's senior squad and academy and pathway programmes. Cole, who also won a total of 121 Test caps for England and the British & Irish Lions, has already started in his new role, the club confirmed, with Parling also back in the UK after finishing his duties with Australia. The club's CEO Andrea Pinchen said: 'We are delighted to be able to keep someone of Dan's experience and knowledge at Leicester Tigers. ‌ 'He has always shown a keen interest in this area and, as anyone who knows him will attest, his attention to detail and professionalism are second to none. "His playing career was as successful as it was because of his work ethic, but also his commitment to learning and evolving every step of the way," Pinchen continued. "Add to that that he is a Leicester Tigers man through and through; he wants to see this club be successful and, pleasingly, wants to contribute and be a part of this exciting new chapter. Article continues below 'Dan will be a great fit, there's no doubt about that, and with the appointment of the new head of rugby operations to oversee the process and refreshed staffing structure, I am confident in what is being put in place."

Footy great weighs in on explosive AFL coaching spat that saw one club chief be branded a 'd***head' by a famous Aussie comedian on the red carpet at the Logies
Footy great weighs in on explosive AFL coaching spat that saw one club chief be branded a 'd***head' by a famous Aussie comedian on the red carpet at the Logies

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Footy great weighs in on explosive AFL coaching spat that saw one club chief be branded a 'd***head' by a famous Aussie comedian on the red carpet at the Logies

Geelong coach Chris Scott has weighed in on the row about footy coaches tapping up out-of-contract players. The Cats boss sided with Michael Voss, after the Carlton coach clapped back at Craig McRae for revealing he'd held a secret meeting with Blues key defender Jack Silvagni. Scott, who appeared on Channel 7's episode of The Agenda Setters on Tuesday, reasoned that footy clubs shouldn't be 'shouting the news from the rooftops' that they have held meetings with players from other teams, who are reaching the end of their contracts. The issue has been a hot topic so far this season and notably caused a stir after West Coast captain Oscar Allen was forced to apologise publicly in an emotional address to Eagles fans for holding secret meetings with Hawthorn boss Sam Mitchell. And the matter has reared its head again this week, with Voss blasting his old Brisbane team-mate Craig McRae after the Collingwood coach announced he had met with Silvagni, and would be keen to hold another meeting with the Blues player. Voss slammed McRae for announcing the matter in public, appearing to claim that it had put pressure on Silvagni. The under-pressure Carlton coach added that he hopes the 27-year-old defender would remain at the Blues beyond the 2025 season. "I don't think it (coaches meeting with contracted players) is something that clubs should be promoting necessarily." 🗣️ Chris Scott after Craig McRae was asked about meeting with Jack Silvagni — 7AFL (@7AFL) August 5, 2025 Out-of-contract Blues defender Jack Silvagni (left) had met Collingwood coach Craig McRae in recent weeks to discuss options at a potential move to the Blues' big rivals 'Regardless of what Craig did, it's not something we would do. We will respect the privacy of the player,' Voss said. 'It's not for me to announce something like that on behalf of someone, because they're the ones that have to walk back into the locker room.' Scott balanced the views of both of his former Lions team-mates before delivering his response on the matter. While he admitted McRae's comments didn't surprise him, the Geelong boss reasoned that Carlton were right to feel aggrieved by the manner in which the news has been released into the public domain. 'I'm a little bit more Team Voss on this one,' he said on The Agenda Setters. 'But in Fly's [McRae's] defence, that's kind of him; like he's a funny guy. And that's sort of him being himself a bit.' He shed further light on how deals are done behind the scenes in the AFL world, adding that players sniff around for offers just as much as clubs hunt out new opportunities to bring in fresh talent. '(That's) the reality of the situation. And I think most people in the footy industry know now that players, especially with free agency coming in, they really have an obligation to do their research,' Scott said. 'It's not just clubs chasing players. It's really players working out (who they want to play for).' While the subject of players meeting with rival coaches has seen players, including Allen, cop huge backlash in the past, Scott, a pragmatist, reasoned that's just the way the industry works. '(The players) need to meet with these people. I don't think it is the clubs preying on those guys. So that's the reality of the situation,' Scott said. 'But I don't think it's something that clubs should be promoting necessarily...' he added, appearing to reference McRae's comments. 'There's a reality that it's happening but to talk about it... I think it is something that probably the media wants and the fans might like to know, but there are a lot of things that they like to know that they shouldn't, in my opinion. 'So I think Vossy's point is really well made... It's not up to the prospective club to out that player, knowing full well that the player's got to walk back into the locker room and front, you know, his team-mates, especially and the coach in some parts. 'Now, I'd be staggered if Carlton weren't aware that Silvagni was assessing his options.' It comes as McRae was blasted by comedian Dave Hughes at the Logie Awards on Sunday night over the matter. From the red carpet, Hughes issued a scathing attack on the Collingwood boss, branding him a 'd***head' for his approaches to Silvagni, before dishing up a dig at the Pies' lacklustre performance during their defeat by Brisbane on Saturday night. 'I'm not as upset as the Collingwood players who aren't contracted yet who are not getting the money they want because their coach is out dating a Carlton player,' Hughes said to The Herald Sun. 'That's a poor thing, he shouldn't have done that. McRae made a mistake then and he's paying for it,' he said. 'They (Collingwood) were s*** last night (against Brisbane),' Hughes fumed. 'Wonder why they didn't go as hard, maybe because you're dating a Carlton player during the week, you d***head.' Scott later went on to back up his point, referencing how Ross Lyon had spoken with Tyson Stengle when the Geelong player's contract was nearing its end. 'He spoke with Tyson Stengle... I get it... so he should, that's fine, but I don't think we should be screaming it from the rooftops,' Scott said to The Agenda Setters.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store